Who invented the first cello?

The earliest precursor of the cello was the medieval viola da gamba, which appeared in Catalonia around the late 1400s. Later, in the 1500s, Italian string makers added a fifth string to the viola da gamba which, combined with increased body size, began to resemble the modern cello. Andrea Amati is often credited as the maker of the first cello in the 1560s in his workshop in Cremona. His grandson Nicolo Amati was instrumental in popularizing the instrument and establishing the city as a center for violin and cello makers.